This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

Sunday, March 02, 2014

An announced protest last month at the Landlords Schooling Landlords symposium, planned to be held at the Barclays Center and featuring Bruce Ratner, prompted the organizers to postpone and move the event.

The event is rescheduled for this Tuesday, but with another protest planned. From the blurb:

In a unique twist of the usual real estate events and expos, the LandlordsNY Property Management Symposium was created to assist landlords and managers...period! This private event is only open to LandlordsNY Members. Who better understands this industry than fellow landlords and managers?
This is the only conference designed solely for you. Clear your morning on March 4th, 2014 and make plans to attend!
Rub elbows with other pros! Some 300 landlords and property managers will be on hand to swap advice, services and war stories about everything from saving money to using the latest technology. Bring your legal, financial, violation or energy-related questions--and any important paperwork you would like reviewed--to discuss with leading industry experts.

Protest detailed

A message from the Fifth Avenue Committee:

The Landlords Schooling Landlords Symposium is back on, once again promoting the Big Real Estate model of pushing out tenants and gentrifying our neighborhoods. Calling it "revitalization" and get billions of dollars in tax breaks to build luxury condos tenants are left homeless, local businesses are pushed out and whole communities are displaced.
The symposium, the morning of March 4th is featuring Thor Equities’ Joseph Sitt as the keynote speaker. You might know him as the massive developer at the*NEW* Coney Island; a huge donator to the NYS Republican Senate; a recipient of the 421A tax credit for his luxury housing; or having made a profit of 100 million dollars for selling Albee Square Mall in downtown Brooklyn, after successfully lobbying for the area’s rezoning, all while pledging to rebuild there.
We successfully evicted the first conference and showed that the tenant movement was alive and well and fighting for the affordability of our neighborhoods. Please join next Tuesday, March 4th at 10:30am at the Roosevelt Hotel at 45 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017, right near Grand Central Terminal.

Protesters' case ventilated

As noted by FAC, the Real Deal has already reported on the planned protest, getting a statement in defense of Sitt but also ventilating the critique:

Thor has developed countless residential and commercial projects in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Last August, Sitt was one of a handful of New York City developers whose relationship with Albany lawmakers came under question after it was revealed they had received 421a tax abatements from the state for projects in prime Manhattan enclaves. The 421a abatement is intended to spur building in underserved areas.
Protesters said the main gripe about Ratner was that, in their eyes, he was not a good example of a landlord — and not the right choice for an event that aims to provide instruction and insight for new and seasoned landlords and property managers. Sitt is not an improvement, Del Valle claimed.
“[Sitt] is doing this for financial motivations as opposed to trying to strengthen and protect a community,” she said. “Really, [it’s the] tenants [that] need to school landlords.”